How to be a “Smart” Commuter?

This article is dedicated to all the commuter students at the University of Toronto. I congratulate all of you on your perseverance and strong mindset, for, the commuting life is not for everyone. I, as a commuter myself, know that better than anyone. 

You not only wake up early for your early day classes, but you have to get up “extra” early to avoid the possibility of any transit delays. For some of you, that “extra” early may mean 2 or 3 hours before your classes start. That is why, you deserve a personal standing ovation for your willingness to sacrifice the little sleep you already get because you’re up all night studying, only to come down all this way to the St. George campus from Richmond hill, Etobicoke, Markham, Scarborough, or Mississauga, and these are only a few of the distanced areas students commute from. 

Now, whether you’re a first-year commuter or an experience fourth-year, it’s never too early or late to learn some smart commuter tips to transform you from the stereotypical grumpy and tired commuter to the healthy and energetic UofT student that you can be.  

The following are some smart tips you can use to make the transportation, academic, social, and food related aspects of the commuter life a bit easier on yourself.

1. Lunch: To pack or not to pack? Commuting is already expensive as it is, so don’t tighten your budget any more than you have to by buying campus food. It’s expensive and it’s a 5-10 minute walk that you can use instead for a quick power nap in between your classes or study breaks. Not to mention, homemade food outranks fast food on any given day. If you pack your own lunch, you will not only save money but you will eat healthier. That being said, there are some days where I buy campus food because I either forgot or simply didn’t have enough time to pack anything myself. So, if you do end up buying campus food, make sure to check out the student run establishments like Harvest Noon and Diabolos for somewhat healthy and more student friendly prices.
2. How to pack? In the event that you do pack your own lunch, make sure to bring lots of snacks to enjoy during your classes. As a commuter from the North York area, I selected a lot of back to back courses in advance so that I would only come down to the campus 2-3 times a week. Though I may have avoided excessive commutes to the University, I am constantly struggling to cope with the hunger and extreme boredom in between my 2-3 hour back to back lectures. However, after my first week of classes, I realized that snacking in between classes can keep you from starving to death and more importantly falling to sleep, being as you have something different to concentrate on besides your hunger and sleep deprivation- your attempt to eat extremely quietly. 

• Your snacks can consist of baked goodies, fruits, vegetables, granola bars, cookies, and the list can go on. Just make sure whatever you’re eating does not make a lot of noise and that it doesn’t have a strong smell- you don’t want to be stared at by hundreds of fellow hungry peers as you’re chewing down on celeries or eating something with an incredibly distracting aroma, whether it’s the good or bad type.
• On the other hand, it’s time for lunch and you have no idea what to pack. With lunch, you have a broader horizon. You can pack anything you like, just keep in mind that you will most likely keep your lunch in a container which will then be placed in your backpack, the one that’s also filled with your class notes, books, writing utensils, laptop and other electronic devices. So avoid bringing anything that could possibly spill in your bag like soup or anything soup-related. Truthfully, the simplest and fasted lunch preparation is a small-cut sandwich with some fruits or vegetables, and something to drink (water, juice, tea, etc.).

1. Take Advantage of Travel Discounts. Go Transit and TTC have discounts available for post-secondary students, such as reduced PRESTO fare rides and Post Secondary Student Metropasses which are available for purchase at the UTSU office.
2. Get a PRESTO Card. These electronic smart cards are crucial for you to have if you are taking the GO Transit. They’re your best friend if you commute from far distances because they save you both money and time. For more information on how you can get a PRESTO card and all of its benefits, you can check out the following link to the GO PRESTO website: http://www.gotransit.com/public/en/fares/presto.aspx  
3. Get a Locker. There are many ways for you to get a locker, either by entering a raffle for the chance of having your name picked out for a locker at the Commuter Student Centre, or by paying $10 at your college registrar for a guaranteed locker that’ll be your own for a semester. The Arts and Science Student’s Union (ASSU) also offers lockers between 45$-55$ including deposit for the entire school year. Regardless of how you obtain the locker, ensure that you do get one. Once you do, keep some of your textbooks in there and avoid carrying a heavy bag with half your room belonging in it. Likewise, keep an umbrella and a set of extra clothes in there. You never know when our moody weather decides to get colder or rainy. As a commuter, you cannot afford to be uncomfortable on your way to your transportation method, so keep your locker prepared for the days you least expect, chances are those days will come one day or another. 

1. Places to Rest or Sleep. 

• Buses, Subways, Trains- make use of them. The fastest way for you to get some extra sleep is during your commute. Whether you’re on the bus, subway or train, try to catch up on some loss sleep and disregard the people around you, there’s a high chance that most of them are sleeping too.
• The Commuter Student Centre. Whenever you have some time to kill and prefer to put in a quick nap before your next class begins, go to the Commuter Student Centre (CSC) in the UC Union at 79 St. George Street. It’s open Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. which suits a typical commuting schedule, as most commuters leave the campus before 10:00 p.m. to catch their methods of transportation in time. Not to mention, the CSC offers a lounge with cable TV for when you want to rest a bit, a small kitchen for you to warm up that delicious homemade lunch you packed with you, and both a study space and group study room which will allow you to either study on your own or make new friends and form a study group with other commuters. 
• Robarts Library is open 24/7 Sunday to Thursday from mid-September to April. It’s the perfect place for you to go study due to its constant silence, but it can also be your second home if you do happen to fall asleep there every once in a while. As commuters, we want to make the most of our far commute, so once we’re there, it’s almost impossible to get us to leave. Thus, it is a good idea to take power naps throughout the night and leave for home the morning after. I assure you, as strange as it may sound, many commuters do this.
• Befriend someone living on residence. This may be the most difficult source to find, but once you do, it is by far the best option for every commuter. Not only will you have found a friend that you are comfortable enough to stay with overnight, but it’s also a good option for you on that dark and cold night us commuters experience so very often. You’ve had your head buried in your books for so long, you’ve only now checked the clock and realized it’s 3:00 a.m., but you’re too tired and it’s simply too late for you to commute home, not to mention you need to sleep because you have an 8:00 o’clock class in the morning. Now, I’m not saying that you should be a free-loader and stay with your friend all the time, who is now living uncomfortably because you took up the whole floor when you decided to invite yourself over, I’m merely suggesting that this could be your last resource if you truly are tired and stayed late studying at the campus.

1. Defeat your age-old enemy, Time. Be productive and make use of the time you spend to commute to and from the campus. That precious time spent on transportation, can be used toward getting yourself 1 or 2 extra hours of sleep, going over lecture notes, reading ahead of class, or simply collecting ones thoughts and taking some time to reflect on your personal or academic life. 
2. Get Involved and Make Friends. Another reason why commuters should be congratulated, is due to their realistic approach toward the life they’ve chosen to live throughout their undergraduate career. You’ve all been informed of the infamous loneliness that comes along with being a commuter, yet you still chose be one because it meant you’d be studying at UofT, Canada’s top and internally recognized university. Well, I’m happy to inform you that you are not lonely, and that of the 30 000 students at UofT, there are only so many living on residence, the rest of them are all commuters just like yourself. So, I encourage you to visit the Commuter Centre at your college and meet and befriend other commuters. More importantly, never forget to have fun because the reality is that just as much as your academics are important, so is your social life which in return keeps you mentally and emotionally stable and fit to continue the never-ending battles of your academic life. So, make sure to keep yourself updated and informed of all the events and social gatherings happening on campus, by joining various Facebook groups, following different campus twitter accounts or simply looking around the campus for information. Also, try your best not to leave the campus as soon as your classes are over. Stay around for a bit, say hello to people, especially the ones in your lecture halls. Remember, that they are just as lonely as you may be, so they are more than willing to chat with you. 

I’m hoping that these tips will work as well for you as they have for me so far. Stay tuned for part two of this article, where I will provide you with an insightful comparison between life on residence and life as a commuter, for which the details of my personal experience will provide you with a better understanding of both living conditions as a university student. 

Photo Sources:

http://parentinghub.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Community_-_Healthy…

http://38.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1u4zuFk511qcyuhro1_500.gif

http://www.ash-acs.ca/wp-content/themes/striking/cache/images/Presto-628…

http://www.weirdhut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/funny-China-sleeping.jpg

http://wackymania.com/image/2011/5/sleeping-in-library/sleeping-in-libra…

http://rack.3.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzA4LzE2Lzk2L2Jlc3RmcmllbmRzLjA5N…

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